When Albert Okura opened his first Juan Pollo in San Bernardino, I’m sure he had no idea that the concept of rotisserie chicken would explode into the consciousness of the dining public so dramatically.

His original recipe involved 24 hours of marination followed by three hours of cooking the whole bird on rotating skewers. The fat from the upper skewers bastes the chickens rotating below keeping the meat moist and juicy.

There are many imitators, but none like the original — although, truth be told, I always found the chicken skin to be fairly salty.

Many individuals trained under Albert’s tutelage and the owners of such places as Ruben’s King Pollo, Maria’s Pollo and Mr. King Pollo are now owned by an extended Hispanic family, a number of whom had previously worked with Albert.

Such is the case at Mr. King Pollo in Yucaipa. The basic concept still holds — reasonably priced dinners, bowls, burritos, tacos and whole chickens to go along with sides and tortillas. Sides include potato salad, rice with finely chopped chicken and pinto beans.

Here, at Mr. King Pollo, however, I’ve noticed some changes for the better. The chicken skin is no longer as salty as the original Juan Pollo. The rice is moister, and in the next couple of weeks, they will be adding a coleslaw side to the options. Let’s hear it for a vegetable choice!

The pinto beans are still bland. Perhaps adding some chipotle salsa to the mix would help.

Other than that, the portions are plentiful and the potato salad is creamy with bits of carrot and green onions mixed in.

Choose either dark or white meat for your meal.

It’s tough to beat the two whole chickens special with tortillas, salsa and a large side for $19. Remember, the chicken is hacked into quarters with a cleaver.

There’s a mild salsa and another laced with jalapenos. I particularly liked that a salad option is available with chopped chicken, tomatoes, lettuce and shredded cheddar cheese for those who are watching their carbohydrate intake.

Tortillas come with the King Bowl, the two piece lunch combo, the half chicken dinner and any whole chicken option as well as a salsa, so you can build your own burritos right from the plate if you’re so inclined.

When all is said and done, it’s all about the chicken. The dark meat is certainly more succulent, but the marinade penetrates even the breast meat all the way to the bone.

As far as Mexican rotisserie chicken goes, the current owner trained with the master, and it shows.

David Cohen is a freelance dining critic and food co-editor for Inland Empire Magazine. Send him email at dcohen4@verizon.net and follow him on Twitter @dcfoodfiles.